So….in page 8 of last week’s Parade magazine, I revealed my almost-6-figure income for all to see:

Parade

This was my 15 seconds of fame for the spring….about how long it takes to turn the page and move on to something else – like, say, how much Beyonce and Sandra Bullock make.

Why did I participate? For fun. For the attention, sure, not gonna lie. But also as another slice in my marketing pie. As a member of WoVo, (Worldvo.org) the industry association for international Voice Talents, I want to promote our industry as a field where professional talents are seen – and paid – as the professionals we are. And my fairly-decent income for 2013 was another way to make that point.

Of course,as you might imagine, I got lots of e-mails, messages, and even a couple of phone calls (one really weird one in the middle of the night from Los Angeles, but he might have had a different, um, agenda) saying “wow! you make so much money just for talking? I have a nice voice!”….well, you get the picture.

How to Get Started in Voice-Overs.

Judy Carter says it beautifully in her book The Comedy Bible (for aspiring comics and comedy writers)

Get good.

Get noticed.

Get paid.

In that order.

And then, she continues with a terrific book full of chapters with concrete steps to accomplish all that – chapters that most people, sadly, probably don’t read. “Really? I gotta do all that?”

And so it is with Voiceovers. In the words of Mama Rose (a part which I just auditioned for, and btw, did not get… sad face…but hey that’s show biz. indeed.): “Got the dream, yeah, but not the guts.”

Got the Guts? Here’s What You Do First:

(In the interest of public service, the contents of the letter I usually send to aspiring talents – tho I do tailor it a bit….

Dear______________ –

As you might imagine, I get this question at least 5 times a day!

This is a business that requires you to be self-starter. Get good at it, learn all you can, and then you must build your business.

Randye,
Very comprehensive and truthful insights about our business of voiceovers, that’s just not all talk, and so easy peazy, anybody can do it. The trick is to balance the dream with reality. And so much more to being a success. That’s where a lot of newcomers fall short. Great job.
All The Best,
Bobbin Beam

I did see the issue of Parade Mag, good for you on being a part of the article ! Everything you have to say in Life on the Voiceover List is always most enjoyable and helpful as well, so please keep it coming. I am still plugging away here in Southbury, working on my VO career, continuing to market myself as much as possible (not an easy task !) Hopefully it will pay off one of these days.

Also, I am reading your book and it’s really wonderful.

Just wanted to touch base and say hi and kudos again on the Parade article. Have a great weekend, Georgiana (Georgie) Benedetto Southbury, CT